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Space Kitty Boffs

chanfron66chanfron66 Member Posts: 117 Arc User
Any one know when and why Caitain boffs were made c store only, I know they used to be freely available on the exchange like other boffs, I have an alt from many years with 4 or 5 of them bought from the exchange, I have Caitan as a playable species bought many year ago but was away from the game for about 4-5 year and restarted about 18 months ago, I know I can get a few at the boff seller but was wondering why they were removed from the general boff list, I assume something to do with licencing.

Thanks
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  • Hard Gorny, Cold Gorny, Big Ball of Scales, Angry Gorny, Fighty Gorny, Hiss, Hiss Hisssss
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Post edited by baddmoonrizin on

Comments

  • davefenestratordavefenestrator Member Posts: 10,501 Arc User
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.
  • ioneonioneon Member Posts: 207 Arc User
    edited March 2019
    Caitian boffs were always C-store. They came out the same time you could buy the Caitian species unlock. Any that were being sold on the exchange had to have been purchased by someone else from the C-store and sold on the exchange, presumably to turn zen into credits. Whether or not you can still purchase caitian boffs and trade them I couldn't tell you.
  • saurializardsaurializard Member Posts: 4,385 Arc User
    edited March 2019
    Actually, you can also get common-quality Intel caitians at the Jenolan Dyson Sphere Delta Quadrant Command vendor for the same cheap price as other Boffs.
    #TASforSTO
    Iconian_Trio_sign.jpg?raw=1
  • disqord#9557 disqord Member Posts: 567 Arc User
    Not even only in the Dyson Sphere, any bridge officer vendor would do (Earth Spacedock, DSK7, Sierra, etc.)
  • chanfron66chanfron66 Member Posts: 117 Arc User
    ioneon wrote: »
    Caitian boffs were always C-store. They came out the same time you could buy the Caitian species unlock. Any that were being sold on the exchange had to have been purchased by someone else from the C-store and sold on the exchange, presumably to turn zen into credits. Whether or not you can still purchase caitian boffs and trade them I couldn't tell you.

    You are probably right, I cant remember how much I paid for them off the exchange but it would not have been much, certainly not enough for someone to buy with zen to change to ec .

    I have seen caitan requisition forms on the exchange for something like 15 mil ec, so I guess u can technically still buy the from the exchange, guess these are the forms you get if u buy one from the zen store.

    Thanks

    • Soft Tribble Warm Tribble, Little ball of fur, Happy Tribble, Sleepy Tribble, Purr Purr Purr
    • Hard Gorny, Cold Gorny, Big Ball of Scales, Angry Gorny, Fighty Gorny, Hiss, Hiss Hisssss
    • History will never forget the name "InvalidEntityName"
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    chanfron66 wrote: »
    ioneon wrote: »
    Caitian boffs were always C-store. They came out the same time you could buy the Caitian species unlock. Any that were being sold on the exchange had to have been purchased by someone else from the C-store and sold on the exchange, presumably to turn zen into credits. Whether or not you can still purchase caitian boffs and trade them I couldn't tell you.

    You are probably right, I cant remember how much I paid for them off the exchange but it would not have been much, certainly not enough for someone to buy with zen to change to ec .

    I have seen caitan requisition forms on the exchange for something like 15 mil ec, so I guess u can technically still buy the from the exchange, guess these are the forms you get if u buy one from the zen store.

    Thanks
    It's a lot like the Lib Borg Eng. Buying it for 500 zen gives you an item you can trade.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • zerokillcf2011zerokillcf2011 Member Posts: 545 Arc User
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,248 Arc User
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    Aren't Ferasan the Kzinti in everything but the name?

  • zerokillcf2011zerokillcf2011 Member Posts: 545 Arc User
    spiritborn wrote: »
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    Aren't Ferasan the Kzinti in everything but the name?

    I think the Ferasan AND Caitan were released as the good guy/bad guy versions of the Kzinti. Since STO was launched TRYING to be a two faction game. (thats another debate).
  • davefenestratordavefenestrator Member Posts: 10,501 Arc User
    spiritborn wrote: »
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    Aren't Ferasan the Kzinti in everything but the name?

    I think the Ferasan AND Caitan were released as the good guy/bad guy versions of the Kzinti. Since STO was launched TRYING to be a two faction game. (thats another debate).

    Catians were already a separate race in TAS, with (speaking of kitty boffs) Lieutenant M'Ress in the bridge crew.
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    Admitted you play as a FED, you can gets common quality Caitian Intel BOFFs from any BOFF vendor.

    I'd love someone to explain me the reasoning behind the fact Cryptic didn't give access to Ferasan Intel BOFFs to KDF officers in return <.<
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.
    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    Lyrans were created because Larry Niven declined to allow them to use the Kzinti in a sequel because he thought their first implementation sucked. So for all future games they used the Lyrans instead.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • zerokillcf2011zerokillcf2011 Member Posts: 545 Arc User
    spiritborn wrote: »
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    Aren't Ferasan the Kzinti in everything but the name?

    I think the Ferasan AND Caitan were released as the good guy/bad guy versions of the Kzinti. Since STO was launched TRYING to be a two faction game. (thats another debate).

    Catians were already a separate race in TAS, with (speaking of kitty boffs) Lieutenant M'Ress in the bridge crew.

    Yes, however a) Cryptic did not buy the rights to TAS. b) Larry Niven's Kzinti first appeared in 1966 (so 7 years before TAS) and c) there is a LOT of debate that mostly determined that TAS isn't canon at all. Technology was way off (personal forcefield EV suits for example) and the races, wars, and timetables were not consistent at all. For example the first war with Kzinti was fought through sublight ships and earth one only after buying FTL tech. However canon universally states First Contact with the Vulcans after Cochran created a warp ship was....first contact. Etc etc. d) I did NOT know any of that, and had to look it up.
  • anodynesanodynes Member Posts: 1,999 Arc User
    > I assume something to do with licencing.

    I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.

    But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.

    But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.

    The Starfleet Command games didn't call them Kzinti, they called them Mirak. They were definitely the same, but Interplay and Taldren were covering themselves, just in case.
    This is an MMO, not a Star Trek episode simulator. That would make for a terrible game.
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    Yes, however a) Cryptic did not buy the rights to TAS. b) Larry Niven's Kzinti first appeared in 1966 (so 7 years before TAS) and c) there is a LOT of debate that mostly determined that TAS isn't canon at all. Technology was way off (personal forcefield EV suits for example) and the races, wars, and timetables were not consistent at all. For example the first war with Kzinti was fought through sublight ships and earth one only after buying FTL tech. However canon universally states First Contact with the Vulcans after Cochran created a warp ship was....first contact. Etc etc. d) I did NOT know any of that, and had to look it up.
    Cryptic didn't buy the rights to anything, they made a deal with CBS, who own The Animated Series, and according to CBS, the Animated Series is somewhat canon.
    In one of the livestreams one of the devs talked about that and said they can't use "everything" from TAS, but didn't elaborate on which parts. But we do know that they can't use anything from "Slaver Weapon" to include the Kzinti. Seemingly that's not the ONLY thing though.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • ltminnsltminns Member Posts: 12,569 Arc User
    One of the Boff Exploration Assignments (you know the BS ones about horizontal or vertical trending) is about the Lyrans.
    'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
    Judge Dan Haywood
    'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
    l don't know.
    l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
    That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
    Lt. Philip J. Minns
  • anodynesanodynes Member Posts: 1,999 Arc User
    azrael605 wrote: »
    > @anodynes said:
    > zerokillcf2011 wrote: »
    >
    > davefenestrator wrote: »
    >
    > > I assume something to do with licencing.
    >
    > I think Kzinti are the only kitties with license issues, since they were created by Larry Niven and only loaned to The Animated Series for its version of the slaver weapon story.
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > But strangely, Cryptic does pay for licensing sometimes. And the Kzinti were also used in several other Star Trek games. Starfleet Battles (boardgame), Star Trek Command, ST Command II, and ST Command III.
    >
    > But you also had the Lyrans (also cats) from the games that are license locked apparently.
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > The Starfleet Command games didn't call them Kzinti, they called them Mirak. They were definitely the same, but Interplay and Taldren were covering themselves, just in case.

    Task Force Games, original maker of Star Fleet Battles, used Kzinti for not just the basic game but also for the Prime Directive spin off game.

    They sure did, just as zerokillcf2011 posted in the post that i quoted. That doesn't change the fact that Taldren and Interplay changed the name to Mirak in the Starfleet Command video games that he also posted about.

    Those games were based on Star Fleet Battles, but were dual-licensed from Amarillo Design Bureau, Task Force Games' successor, and whichever branch of Viacom was doing the licensing for their properties at the time, so they could be branded as Star Trek, and use George Takei for voice work as Sulu. For a long time, those of us who played them speculated about the cause of the name change, and while we never had it confirmed in so many words, one of the Taldren developers made a post on their forums when it was abundantly clear that they would not be making another Starfleet Command game about how tenuous the Star Fleet Battles claim for using the Kzinti at all was. It was something along the lines of questioning how the license for Franz Joseph's Star Fleet Technical Manual to Task Force Games transferred a license for Niven's work to them as well, given that Joseph had no right to do so. That pretty much confirmed why the name was changed for those video games. The developer, publisher, and co-licensor felt that they had no legal leg to stand on should Niven decide to sue.
    This is an MMO, not a Star Trek episode simulator. That would make for a terrible game.
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    ltminns wrote: »
    One of the Boff Exploration Assignments (you know the BS ones about horizontal or vertical trending) is about the Lyrans.
    Lyrans or Lysians? I know I've seen one for Lysians. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Lysian
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • tyler002tyler002 Member Posts: 1,586 Arc User
    The Caitians would probably be in the game even if they couldn't use anything from TAS. They wouldn't be able to use M'Ress, but the appearance of a couple of Caitians in The Voyage Home makes the race itself canon.
    tumblr_p7auh1JPC61qfr6udo4_500.gif
  • ltminnsltminns Member Posts: 12,569 Arc User
    ltminns wrote: »
    One of the Boff Exploration Assignments (you know the BS ones about horizontal or vertical trending) is about the Lyrans.
    Lyrans or Lysians? I know I've seen one for Lysians. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Lysian

    It is Lysians. I guess I saw what I wanted to see.
    'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
    Judge Dan Haywood
    'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
    l don't know.
    l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
    That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
    Lt. Philip J. Minns
  • chipg7chipg7 Member Posts: 1,577 Arc User
    edited March 2019
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    Admitted you play as a FED, you can gets common quality Caitian Intel BOFFs from any BOFF vendor.

    I'd love someone to explain me the reasoning behind the fact Cryptic didn't give access to Ferasan Intel BOFFs to KDF officers in return <.<

    I remember that issue from way back. Cryptic explained that they never intended to release Caitian Intel BOFFs for Feds in the first place... or Andorian, or Vulcan, or Bolian, and so on. White-quality Intel BOFFs were supposed to be just 3 Human, exactly like the specializations that followed. But they accidentally released the white-quality BOFFs on the Fed side for every available species.

    That was a coding accident, iirc. But they never reversed it, because the players loved it.
This discussion has been closed.